


More Middle Earth, Less Disney

by har1ey_quinn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Disney, Dogs, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Middle Earth, Romance, because everything is better with dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-24 00:22:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1584812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/har1ey_quinn/pseuds/har1ey_quinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Legolas stopped short, nose in the air before he tilted his head, eyes directed at the man. And Stiles could see why- lying on the ground next to Handsome in Leather was a golden retriever, but unlike Legolas who was light yellow, the other dog was a rich mahogany color (and if Stiles wasn’t biased towards Legolas, he’d admit it was a beautiful color)</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Middle Earth, Less Disney

At the time, it had seemed like a great idea to get a dog. Never mind that the whole reason why Stiles bought a puppy was to get girls’ (or guys’, he wasn’t picky) phone numbers. Of course, Stiles didn’t think it through (as it usually happened with all his genius ideas). The first summer that the golden retriever made his way into Stiles’ apartment, it resulted in a lot of sleepless night and unthinkable messes. That had been when Stiles was a junior at Berkeley, the year that he began to live off-campus and decided he’d rather not be alone in the real world, thank you very much.

Now, he was home for summer vacation after finishing his first year of grad school and while the sleepless nights had gone down in number, having a dog was still a lot of work. Sure, Legolas (it was the perfect name ok? The golden retriever’s coat was the same light yellow shade as Orlando Bloom’s wig) was somewhat better behaved after Stiles had painstakingly looked up _How to House Train Your New Puppy_  and whatnot. But Legolas had developed an internal clock that mandated specific times for walks, no matter if Stiles was on vacation, sleeping (alone or with someone), or with a thesis deadline.

“Stiles, I swear to god if you don’t take your dog on a walk-” The sheriff didn’t even finish his threat.

Legolas continued to scratch the kitchen door, barking and whining for his owner to hurry up.

“It wouldn’t hurt for you to get fresh air too!” Stiles yelled back. He saved his Word document and closed his laptop. He figured he wouldn’t get anything done if Legolas didn’t have his walk and he needed a break anyway. He changed from his jeans and his plaid-t-shirt-undershirt combo to basketball shorts, a white t-shirt and running shoes. He went downstairs, passing the living room where his father was going over some police files.

Legolas seemed to have a sixth sense whenever Stiles was nearby, so he instantly increased his efforts in messing up the paint job on the kitchen door.

“You just couldn’t get a cat, could you?” The sheriff muttered, shaking his head. Stiles knew his dad only complained for the hell of it. Legolas had managed to earn the sheriff’s love within a few minutes of Stiles buying him despite his initial doubts.

As soon as Stiles opened the door, Legolas rushed in, running circles around Stiles and barking, tail wagging furiously. If his excitement hadn’t been indication enough, he ran to where Stiles kept his leash and tugged on it before bringing it back to Stiles and dropping it by his feet. Stiles smiled at his dog’s antics and ruffled his fur, clasping the leash and grasping it firmly only to be taken by surprise as Legolas ran to the front door, all but dragging Stiles once he was certain they were going for a walk.

“Crazy dog.” Stiles grumbled, righting himself as Legolas stopped and looked back at him expectantly, tongue lolling to the side.

“Just like the owner.” His dad helpfully supplied.

Stiles threw him a withering glare and stuck out his tongue like the mature twenty-three year old that he was. He grabbed his keys and pocketed them before leaving with a _see you later_  to his dad and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

 

There were two dog parks in Beacon Hills, one in the western part of town and the other one in the east. The one in the west was a bit nicer, or rather more professional, as it came complete with a training course and an adjoining grooming salon. The eastern park was closer to Stiles’ house, and he preferred that one anyway as it was next to the woods and therefore close to the beautiful lake that was not too far from the park.

Legolas was all but choking himself trying to get to the park. He had about the same patience (that is to say none) and energy (a lot) as Stiles, which is why, despite the initial regret at getting a “sporty” dog, Stiles knew he had made the right choice.

“Ok, ok, let’s run, hold your horses ‘las.” Stiles said, wrapping the leash a few times around his hand before joining Legolas in a jog to the park. It didn’t take long for them to reach the enclosed area; there were a few dogs with their owners that Stiles had seen before but never engaged in conversation with, a simple greeting was more than enough because Stiles didn’t want to be too rude.

It wasn’t that Stiles didn’t like them- ok he totally didn’t, but in his defense, they weren’t his kind of people. The Little Old Lady with the two poodles was half deaf, smelled funny, and tended to try and set up Stiles with one of her many granddaughters (and grandsons after Stiles told her of his preferences) so he tried to steer clear of her. Wiener Dude had a really old dachshund and whined about anything and everything to whomever gave him more than five seconds of their attention. Then there was the Fairly Odd Couple who apparently thought a dog park was a good idea to make out and completely ignore the half dozen holes their beagle would dig. The only decent one was the I-Have-A-Boyfriend Girl with the husky but she was rarely there, opting to run in the trails instead, and she had made it clear to Stiles that no, Stiles couldn’t have her number but she would allow casual conversations.

Rather than have to deal with them, Stiles decided to continue jogging towards the forest, following the series of trails that led to the lake. When he passed the weird uprooted tree that told him they were close by, he slowed down to a walk, letting Legolas smell the path (which also included him peeing on a rock). The golden retriever continued to lead the way once he knew where they were headed.

It was already well into the afternoon, so Stiles figured the lake would be empty. However, he was surprised to find someone sitting in the make-shift bench that had appeared suddenly one day right by the lakeshore. And Stiles almost tripped on Legolas when he got a good look at the (possibly familiar) man sitting there, reading a book. Greek God seemed like a better description. Handsome, sexy, muscles upon muscles clearly visible despite the leather jacket. And that _stubble_. Stiles wanted nothing more than to feel the chiseled jaw.

It was a good thing the man seemed engrossed on his book (whose cover also looked familiar), otherwise Stiles would have been caught practically drooling, and that was definitely unattractive (not to mention a terrible first impression to leave on the guy). He wished he’d worn something better; ratty shorts and a now-sweaty t-shirt weren’t exactly attractive.

Legolas stopped short, nose in the air before he tilted his head, eyes directed at the man. And Stiles could see why- lying on the ground next to Handsome in Leather was a golden retriever, but unlike Legolas who was light yellow, the other dog was a rich mahogany color (and if Stiles wasn’t biased towards Legolas, he’d admit it was a beautiful color).

Stiles and Legolas kinda had to walk by them if they wanted to get to the lake, so he tried to seem casual as Legolas began walking again. The rustling of leaves brought attention to them when they got closer, and both Handsome in Leather and his dog looked at them at the same time. Stiles wasn’t sure whether to smile politely or gape when green-blue-gray eyes made contact with his own, but he opted for amusement (albeit a bit offended) when the man scowled at him.

Handsome in Leather shut his book and stood up, his dog (a female, Stiles noted) followed instantly, tail moving side to side enthusiastically. The man gave him one last glare before walking in the opposite direction, away from Stiles and Legolas, and the other dog followed obediently without another glance at them. But once Legolas had seen the female golden retriever and that she was walking away from him, he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Before Stiles could react properly, Legolas took off, with Stiles scrambling to get a firm hold on him. Of course, the gods were against him because the commotion caused for Handsome in Leather to stop and look back just as Legolas (and Stiles) reached them. And now the other golden retriever reacted, running around in circles with Legolas panting after her in very sense of the word- and that’s when it all went downhill, literally. As the dogs ran around their owners, their leashes went along with them, effectively tangling their owners' legs.

“Shit, I am so-” Stiles started to apologize, his hand letting go of Legolas’ leash and trying to keep his balance as the two golden retrievers continued to dance around each other as much as their leashes allowed.

“ _Get off of me_.”

In any other circumstance, Stiles would have appreciated the growly voice from Handsome in Leather but given that the man looked downright murderous, Stiles filed away the deep voice for later.

“I am trying- oh my god, ‘las, stop!”

“Stop thrashing about- you’re going to-”

“Oh god-” Stiles’ mind helpfully started to sing _It’s going down, I’m yelling timber_  just as he felt his center of gravity fail when the dogs gave a particular sharp tug on the leashes. Before he knew what was happening, the world turned sideways and everyone, dogs included, went tumbling into lake.

Despite it being summer, the water was freezing. Stiles flinched at the cold and then paled in horror when he saw that Handsome in Leather was completely soaked and glaring daggers at him (he took _if looks could kill_ to a whole new level- Stiles was impressed). They had managed to land in one of the shallower parts of the lake but with how both were sitting, the water reached up to their chests.

“You looked like a drowned rat.” Stiles blurted, only to clasp a hand over his mouth. A sexy drowned rat, mind you, but god, he needed to work on his brain to mouth filter.

This scene seemed awfully familiar though, and even if it had been a while since Stiles saw any Disney movies, _101 Dalmatians_ had been one of his favorites as a child. Thankfully, he didn’t blurt out that based on that movie, they should’ve been making up and kissing and planning their wedding like ten minutes before. But when he saw Handsome in (now very wet) Leather clench his (perfect) jaw in anger, Stiles quickly came to the conclusion that his dog hadn’t help him achieve his Disney romance to marry Mr. Muscles over there. In fact, based on the slight twitch Handsome in Leather had going on, Legolas had far from helped either of them get laid. And Stiles should really stop jumping to conclusions. Hell, he didn’t even know if the other man was gay or not.

“I am so sorry, I- your jacket-I’ll pay for dry cleaning. Or something.” Stiles quickly said to get rid of his mental rant before he actually said it out loud.

The leashes had somehow managed to untangle themselves and Legolas was still trying to get the other dog’s attention, splashing about and sending waves of water their way.

“Maybe you should invest in dog training classes.” Handsome in Leather sneered, standing. Stiles forced himself not to blatantly stare at the way his jeans dropped low because of the water’s weight, showing a thin strip of skin that Stiles would have no problem licking. And ok, he should definitely not think about that when he was only wearing shorts that, thanks to the water, hid nothing.

Stiles hurriedly stood up as well, grabbed the leashes and handed the corresponding one to the other man, who snatched it with a huff before looking away, face reddening (from anger, Stiles figured).

“I’m really sorry.” Stiles tried again. “I feel like I should make it up to you.” _Coffee? Dinner? Blow job?_ He didn’t know what to offer.

“You’ve done enough.” The man growled before he turned around and walked to the shore. How he managed to walk with dignity while drenched to the bone and boots squelching from the water, Stiles wasn’t sure.

The golden retriever shook her fur, sending water droplets everywhere before trotting beside her owner.

Legolas made a move to follow them but Stiles reacted quicker this time and held onto the leash with a strong grip. He almost let go when Handsome in Leather bent down, jeans so tight they completely complimented that round ass, to grab his book that had thankfully not fallen in the lake. Stiles immediately tried to think of something to get rid of the heat starting to go down into nether regions or things would get really awkward, really fast.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), Handsome in Leather didn’t bother turning around. He continued walking without another glance at them, even when Legolas whined as they got out of the lake, both completely soaked.

“Right, well, see you around!” Stiles yelled, mentally berating himself for blurting things out again. Handsome in Leather didn’t turn around, but his shoulders tensed up, so Stiles figured he’d heard him.

Legolas whined again, tail wagging feebly as he stared up at Stiles. “Trust me, ‘las, I’m upset too, but you just _had_ to think with your dick.”

Legolas shook his fur.

 

* * *

 

His dad laughed for hours after Stiles and Legolas got back to the house, shivering (mostly Stiles) and still dripping wet, and Stiles told him what had happened. And he failed to be useful at dinner time when Stiles (not-so) subtly asked him if he knew who in Beacon Hills also owned a golden retriever.

“I’m the sheriff, son, not the vet.”

Or maybe kinda useful, now he knew who to ask- he couldn’t believe he didn’t think of it sooner.

He could ask his best friend. Scott would know who it was, but he’d end up asking questions and teasing Stiles, and he wanted to hold off on that until he had more info. The vet was a safe choice, Deaton wouldn’t tease him. And Legolas was due for a check-up anyway, he could ask the vet then.

The following day- once the sheriff had gone to work early in the morning- Stiles set out to the vet clinic as soon as he was done with breakfast. Legolas was more than happy to leave the house, climbing enthusiastically inside the blue jeep and settling in the passenger’s seat. Stiles started the car and backed out the driveway before driving down the familiar streets in the direction of the clinic.

It was always soothing being back in Beacon Hills. Berkeley was great and he loved it, it was one of the best things that had happened to him (aside from Legolas, of course). But home was home- it was comforting, and relaxing, especially after months of grueling school work.

“Alright buddy, let’s do this.” He said as he parked in front of the clinic. Legolas whined when Stiles got out, making sure he wasn’t forgotten in the car, and jumped down as soon Stiles opened the door, leash in hand. The good thing about Legolas was that he didn’t go crazy at the vet- although maybe that had to do with Deaton’s calming touch.

The door jingled when they entered, and a _be right there_  came from the backroom. Stiles sat down on one of the chairs and took out his phone, quickly continuing his game of Candy Crush while Legolas sniffed around freely.

“Mr. Stilinski, I imagined I’d be seeing you soon.”

Stiles paused his game and looked up. “You did?”

“I was going to tell Scott to remind you.”

“Oh right, well here we are, if you’re not busy?” Stiles ended in a question. He tended to drop by without making appointments, but it was usually when Scott was in the clinic so it really didn’t matter.

“Just finished with a patient, come on back.” Deaton answered, opening the small door that separated the front and back rooms.

Legolas gave a short happy bark at Deaton as they walked to the back room. Without being told, the pup (3 years old was still considered a pup in Stiles’ book) jumped onto the table, knowing very well how the procedure went. Stiles grinned and ruffled the golden retriever before stealing one of the treats Deaton kept in a jar and giving it to Legolas, who made a mess as he chomped on the cookie.

“I’ll clean that up.” Stiles promised.

“I’m sure you will.”

Stiles smiled.

“Alright, if I remember correctly, his shots had been up to date the last time he was here.” Stiles nodded, one hand on Legolas’ neck as he laid down on the table, mouth open and tongue falling to the side. “Excellent, then I believe he just needs one vaccine and a nasal shot today.” Deaton went over to one of the counters, slipping on purple latex gloves, before grabbing a glass vial and a syringe. He carefully inserted the needle and drew out the clear liquid. He walked back, hand on Legolas’ back as he expertly brought the needle down to the muscle.

Stiles bit his lip, unsure of how to bring up Handsome in Leather. He cleared his throat, trying to appear casual and failing abysmally. “So, Doc, you wouldn’t happen to know if there are other golden retrievers in Beacon Hills, would you?” Deaton looked at him questioningly as he pulled away the syringe. “I just didn’t want Legolas to lose his manly bits before giving me grandchildren.” Stiles continued, grinning.

“I believe Mrs. Smith owns a golden retriever, but Goldie is very much male, and so is Johan Sander’s dog.” Deaton answered, still looking curiously at Stiles. “Oh, but there is a new female golden retriever in town.” Stiles perked up at that. “She belongs to Derek Hale.”

_Derek Hale_.

“Ah.” Stiles almost choked on air.

_How did he not recognize him_? The Hales were a well-respected family: Talia Hale was a formidable lawyer and Jonathan Hale was a congressman. And as the sheriff’s son, he knew them well enough. Cora, the youngest of the three Hale children, had been a year below him and Scott in high school. Laura, the oldest, was seven years older than him, He didn’t remember much about her, only that she was very attractive and quite formidable. He knew she had moved to New York as soon as she graduated high school.

And then there was Derek.

Beautiful, wonderful, sexy Derek. He was five years older than Stiles, and while their paths rarely crossed, Stiles remembered him from previous yearbooks that had pictures of the lacrosse team. Derek Hale: MVP and team captain for all four years. He hadn’t been as muscle-y as he was now, but he still had his fair share of girls (and one or two guys) trailing after him. Stiles, even with the age gap, had idolized him. And it had been ages since he had last seen Derek, only glimpses here and there the last years, which was probably why he hadn’t recognize him at first.

“Ok, he’s all set.” Deaton announced, cutting through Stiles’ reminiscing. “And he’s in perfect health overall.”

“Cool, thanks Doc.” Stiles gave a short whistle and Legolas obediently jumped down from the table. He looked up at Stiles, clearly expecting a reward for being a good boy at the vet. Stiles blatantly stole another treat.

“I’ll have Scott give you the bill.” Deaton said, looking amused.

“Right, yeah you do that.” Stiles said, giving him a thumbs-up. “Thanks again. Come on, ‘las.” Stiles whistled again and directed Legolas back out the front. “See ya, Deats.” He grinned when he saw Deaton raise an eyebrow.

“Good bye, Mr. Stilinski.” Deaton said, sounding resigned.

The bell jingled again as they left the clinic. Legolas happily jumped in again once Stiles opened the door to his jeep, moving across the seat and following Stiles as he walked over to the driver’s side. “Ok bud, back to your side.” Stiles said, pushing his dog back and getting into the car. He started the engine and put the jeep in gear before driving back down the familiar streets, Legolas happily sticking out his head out the window and earning a few coos and whistles from whoever saw him.

It was almost lunchtime, so Stiles figured he could pick something up for himself and his dad while he was out. He drove in the direction of the deli that was nearby and had a healthy selection of sandwiches for the sheriff. He parked in the lot of the small plaza and turned off the engine. Legolas tried to jump over him as soon as he opened the door and succeeded, his paw digging into Stiles’ thigh, very close to sensitive regions.

“Oof, Jesus, calm down.” Stiles hurried to grasp Legolas’ leash before he went off running in the parking lot. Legolas smelled everything as Stiles led the way to the deli shop. “You’re gonna have to stay outside for a bit.” He tied the leash around a post in front of the deli and gave it a sharp tug to make sure if wouldn’t come undone. The golden retriever started to whine, trying to get to Stiles and pulling at his leash. “I’ll be right out, ‘las. Sit.” Legolas obeyed, but continued to whine. “Stay.” Obviously he wasn’t going anywhere but Stiles just wanted to enforce that.

Stiles hurried inside, greeting the girl behind the counter. She gave an answering wave as she finished with the customer in front of Stiles.

“The usual?” She asked.

“Yup. Thanks, Betty.” Stiles grinned, resting his elbows against the counter. A sharp bark directed his attention outside, but Legolas wasn’t barking at Stiles. He was barking at a golden retriever, mahogany colored, who stood next to an excellent shoulder to waist ratio clad in leather jacket and dark jeans.

Stiles flailed against the counter. He almost tripped in his haste to get outside, falling against the door as he tried to open it. That only brought attention to him. Derek turned and looked at him, only to scowl when he saw who it was.

“H-hey, you. Good to see you’re all dry.” Stiles said, but winced slightly. Reminding Derek of the day before probably wasn’t a good idea.

Legolas started barking against once he saw Stiles was outside. “’Las, stop.”

“You named your dog _Lass_?” Derek asked, but looked like he regretted blurting that out when Stiles turned back to him.

“Huh? Oh no. it’s short for Legolas.” Stiles answered. “His fur is, you know, the same color as Legolas’ hair and well the elf is pretty bad-ass. The whole archery thing he was going on totally works for him. Allison, my best friend’s fiancée, totally backed me up on that- but I think it was only because she’s good at archery too. And I’m a fan of Tolkien and Middle Earth and whatnot so- I’m gonna just stop talking.” Stiles pursed his lips. All the while he had been watching Derek’s face expressions closely and he almost wanted to say that Derek had been trying to keep a straight face. Stiles cleared his throat. “You um- you can’t judge me.”

Derek gave him a contemplating look. “Tauriel.”

“Pardon?”

He received a longsuffering sigh. “My dog’s name. Tauriel. Her name is Tauriel.” As if to emphasize her owner’s statement, she looked up and barked once, tail wagging.

Stiles gaped at him. “You’re _joking_.” Derek didn’t look like the type to joke at all, and he probably wouldn’t appreciate Stiles proposing marriage then and there. _This was better than Disney_. He must’ve said that last part out loud because Derek raised an eyebrow, lips mouthing _Disney_. “Er nothing, just um…I’m Stiles, by the way.”

“I know.”

Now Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Really now.” He swore he saw Derek blush slightly. It was rather endearing, to be honest.

“Sheriff’s kid.” Derek grunted.

“I’ll have you know I’m not a kid anymore. I’m very much an adult, thank you.” Stiles said, haughtily.

“Stiles, your order is ready.”

Stiles yelped when Betty appeared behind him, and he glared at Derek when he tried to cover a laugh behind a cough.

“Oh shut up.” He grumbled, but he was secretly pleased at the change in Derek’s demeanor. Not that his growliness wasn't attractive. “Right, thanks Betty.”  He grabbed the take-out bag from her.

“I’ll put it on your tab.” Betty said, smiling as she looked between Stiles and Derek. “See you around, Stiles.”

Stiles gave her a smile, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Right, see ya.” He could still see Derek standing beside him, their dogs smelling one another.

Betty smiled one last time, winking at Stiles before going back into the deli. He watched as the door closed behind her, feeling Derek’s gaze on him. He cleared his throat. “So…” He took a deep breath and turned back to Derek, trying not to blush under the intensity of his look. “Um I still feel bad about what happened yesterday. Legolas was clearly still trying to get Tauriel.” Stiles said, smiling slightly at Derek’s unamused expression. He took a deep breath and mustered some courage before speaking up again, “But I’d like to apologize on his behalf, maybe over coffee?”

Derek stared at him, which was kinda unnerving. He was about to tell him _never mind_ but Derek spoke first. “Ok.”

Stiles blinked. “Ok? Okay! Great!” He smiled brightly. “Are you busy today? Do you want to meet someplace? Do you want the dogs to come too? Because then that limits the number of places we can go to. Or well not really, just as long as they have a patio or outside sitting. There’s this place downtown-”

“Stiles! Stiles. Stop.”

Stiles closed his mouth. “Sorry.” He gave Derek a sheepish smile.

“Blue Moon, 8 o’clock. No dogs.”

“Sure, ok, well, that’s- yeah, that sounds good.” Stiles said quickly. “Ok, I better go. I have to feed my dad otherwise he’ll totally bribe his deputies into buying him greasy, unhealthy food even after specific instructions given by me and-”

“See you later, Stiles.” Derek cut through, eyebrows raised and looking like he was holding in a smile.

“Right, see ya.” Stiles gave him a small wave.

Derek whistled once and Tauriel, who by then had laid down next to Legolas, stood up, waiting next to her owner. He looked at Stiles one last time before turning and walking away. Legolas got up too, looking at them and then at Stiles. He whined.

“Bud, if things go amazing tonight, at least you’ll get Tauriel this time around.”

* * *

 

When he arrived at the station, everyone at the precinct instantly fussed over Legolas, who gladly accepted all the attention. Stiles handed the leash to one of the deputies. “I have a sheriff to feed, you all can entertain my dog for a bit.”

He left the front desk with a smile and proceeded to the back where the sheriff’s office was located. He knocked once before barging in, catching his dad mid-sip. “That better be decaf, dad.” He held up the bag. “I brought food.”

The sheriff placed the cup on his desk and looked at his son gratefully. “Thanks, son. I didn’t have time to go pick up something myself.” He accepted the sandwich Stiles handed to him and quickly proceeded to unwrap it.

“I was in the area.” Stiles said, shrugging as he took a seat in one of the chairs. “Took Legolas for a check-up with Deaton and he’s A-Okay in everything.”

The sheriff glanced outside through the glass window. “Where is he? You didn’t bring him?”

Stiles nodded and swallowed the bite he took before answering. “Yeah, he’s out front. I handed him to Tasha since they were all happy to see him.” As if on cue, the female deputy appeared from the hallway, Legolas walking beside her.

“Here’s your boy, Stiles.” The deputy grinned and handed back the leash. “Sheriff.” She nodded once at them before leaving them.

Legolas caught the scent of food and instantly tried to look for its source, sniffing at the ground and moving up the chair to Stiles’ hands. “Whoa, hey, this isn’t for you.” Stiles put his sandwich out of reach, ignoring Legolas’ puppy eyes. He’d had enough practice resisting Scott’s eyes without feeling guilty. “Down, Legolas, down.”

Legolas obeyed quickly, figuring he’d get something in return for listening. His eyes went back and forth between his owner and the sandwich, fearing if he took his eyes off the latter, it would disappear.

“You know, it’s really unnerving when someone watches you eat.” Stiles said, staring back at his dog. “How would you like it if I stared at you while you ate?” He paused. “Actually, you probably wouldn’t care at all. Stop staring at me.”

Legolas tilted his head.

“Nope, sorry, the Bambi look won’t work. Not anymore.”

Legolas whined pitifully and lowered his head, looking up at Stiles.

“You’re a menace.” Stiles sighed and grabbed a piece of roast beef. Legolas instantly perked up, standing up and doing a quick turn. “Yeah, yeah. Food, very exciting. Sit.” Legolas sat, eyes never moving from the piece of meat. Stiles threw it up and Legolas jumped, catching it and swallowing it in a second. “You’re supposed to savor it, at least!”

The sheriff chuckled as Legolas continued to look at Stiles, waiting for more food. “You’d think he never gets fed at home.”

Stiles snorted.

They ate in silence for a bit until the sheriff spoke up. “So…” The sheriff started, sounding way too casual for it to actually be casual. Stiles narrowed his eyes at his dad while taking a bite of his sandwich. “Did you ask Deaton about the other golden retriever?”

Stiles choked on a stray piece of lettuce. He coughed a few times before he was able to speak again, voice a bit raspy. “Why- why are you asking?”

The sheriff shrugged. “Just wondering.” He balled up a napkin and threw it at a wastebasket. “In completely unrelated news, Derek Hale is back in town.”

Stiles coughed. “That’s nice.” He looked away from his dad.

“Sure is, I saw him on my way to work. He was running.”

“Well that’s good dad, exercise is very important and definitely not a crime. You should get in on that. The running, not the crime, although technically you’re already in on the crime. Anyway, running. Good for everyone.”

The sheriff nodded, looking amused. “You want to know who was running with him?”

“Nope, not really. I mean, he’s free to run. It’s a free country dad. We can’t suddenly stop people from running. Alone or accompanied. Unless they’re running after committing a crime, then go ahead and stop them.” Stiles bit down on his sandwich so he wouldn’t continue talking.

“Well I personally think that Legolas will be happy to know who Derek was running with.” The sheriff was now giving him a shrewd look. “Deaton told you, didn’t he?”

Stiles grimaced at his dad. “I’m simply thinking about Legolas’ social life. I mean, I want grandchildren someday. Lots of fluffy, beautiful grandchildren.” Stiles finally said, ignoring the paw that suddenly landed on his knee. “And if I happen to have made plans for tonight, it’s all because I am thinking of Legolas’ best interests.”

His dad nodded. “Of course, and the fact that the dog’s owner looks like a model and used to be your fifth grade crush has nothing to do with that.”

“Well his face and muscles are a hardship I must bear for Legolas and- wait, wait, hold on. _Crush_?” Stiles gaped at his father. “He was _not_ my crush!”

The sheriff snorted. “You pestered Melissa for updates when he broke his wrist. What would you call that?”

“Concerned, dad. Just an individual looking out for a fellow citizen of Beacon Hills.”

“You were ten. You didn’t care about Mrs. Johnson’s hip surgery.”

 The paw lifted from his knee only to be replaced by the other one. “Mrs. Johnson had a hip surgery?” Stiles asked. “Anyways, that’s beside the point. I merely thought Derek Hale was an outstanding civilian. There was no feelings of the crushing kind.”

“Uh huh. Right.” His dad leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. “So what’s tonight about then?”

Legolas bumped his nose against Stiles’ hand. “I’m simply apologizing on behalf of Legolas.” The sheriff raised an eyebrow and waited for his son to actually tell him what he was feeling. He hid a smirk when Stiles sighed. “Ok fine, so maybe I’m hoping he’s interested in the skinny geek that is the sheriff’s son.”

“He agreed to tonight, didn’t he?”

Stiles scrunched up his nose. “Well yeah, but hell, even _you_ said he looked like a freaking model, which is very true, by the way. And dad, he named his dog Tauriel. _Tauriel_. Do you have any idea what that does to my geek boner?”

“I’d rather not know actually.”

“He’s like the perfect combination in a human being.” Stiles said, swooning dramatically.

The sheriff threw a paperclip at him. “Alright, go fantasize somewhere else, I have to get back to work.”

Stiles finished the last bite of his sandwich and threw away the wrapping. He didn’t miss the way Legolas huffed and dropped his paw, clearly unhappy he hadn’t gotten more food. “Are you on the night shift as well?”

“Nah, I’ll be home around six. I have the night shift tomorrow.”

Stiles stood up and swatted at his shirt to remove any stray crumbs. “Ok, I’ll make something for dinner then.” He leaned down to grab his dog’s leash. “See you later, dad.”

“Bye, son. Thanks for lunch.”

Stiles waved in reply before the left the office. He allowed the deputies to give Legolas a few more pats on the head before saying goodbye and heading to his car. He took out his phone to check the time before getting in the jeep with Legolas.

_1:27_

He had approximately 6 and a half hours to panic before he met with Derek. He wasn’t sure he’d survive.

**Author's Note:**

> Second attempt at Sterek, I really have no clue where I'm going with this but it's a mixture of things I like (Sterek, LOTR, Disney, and dogs- the whole thing with the staring and the paws? Yeah, my dog does that) so feedback would definitely be appreciated (:
> 
> If anyone is wondering what Legolas and Tauriel (could possibly) look like, here you go: [Legolas and Tauriel](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Golden_Retrievers_dark_and_light.jpg)


End file.
